Air gun



Nov. 16, 1948.

Y A. F. Low-:RING

AIR GUN Filed May 24, 1946 INVENToR ARI/fw? Elan-Awa -BY i. 9L? ATTORNYs |l`l|l llIslllll III Illia llll.

Patented Nov. 16, 1948 n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR GUN Arthur F.Lovering, Northampton, Mass. Application May 24, 1946i,` Serial No.672,004

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in air guns and `moreparticularly to an improved spring arrangement for the actuation of thepiston of the air compression cylinder.

The principal object of the invention .is to secure a smoother morepowerful and more accurate operation of the gun.

Other and further objects residing in the details of construction willbe made apparent from the following speciiication and claims.

In the accompanying drawings which show one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a gun embodying the invention,parts being broken away, the iiring mechanismbeing shown in cockedposition;

Figs. 2 and 3 together form a sectional View substantially on line A-Aof Fig. 1, on a larger scale, Fig. 2 showing the rear and Fig. 3 showingthe forward portion of the barrel, the parts being shown in uncockedposition;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the loading chamber; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the firing mechanism inuncooked position.

As shown, the barrel generally indicated at Ill comprises a rear orbreech section II, an intermediate section I2 and a forward section I3,these sections being Welded or otherwise secured together to form anintegral barrel.

Within the barrel I is provided a shooting tube i4 the forward endofwhich is welded or otherwise secured to a cap member Iwhich closes theforward end of the space between the shooting tube and the barrel I9.The rear end of the shooting tube, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 issupported in the head I6 of an air compression cylinder I l.

The compression cylinder I'I is held fixed within the barrel, adjacentthe breech end thereof, in any suitable manner, as, byya machinefscrewI8. Reciprocably mounted in compression cylinder Il' is a plunger,generally indicated at I9, comprising an air compressing head 20 and arearwardly extending stem 2|. The rear portion of stem 2| is bifurcatedto form spaced arms 22. Extending from the forward face of the plungerhead 20 is a hollow air tube 23 which telescopes into the rear endportion of the shooting tube i4 as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The length ofair tube 23 is slightly greater than the operating stroke of the plungerI9 so that when the plunger is drawn back in cocked position the 2forward end portion of the air tube is` positioned within the cylinderhead IB (Fig. 5) with its end adjacent the forward face of the cylinderhead.

The air tube is provided with one` or more openings 24 adjacent theplunger head through which air from the cylinder Vis forced into the airtube upon forward movement` of the plunger in the cylinder. i

Surrounding the shooting tube and slidable thereover is a tubular member25 the rear portion of which is split as indicated at 26 providingspaced yoke arms 21 which extend rearwardly along opposite sides of thecompression cylinder between the latter and the gun barrel. To the rearof the compression cylinder the yoke arms 21 are respectivelyconnectedto the adjacent arms 22 of the plunger stem as by screws 28. A smallvertical plate 29, set in grooves formed in the end portions of yokearmsZI bridges the space between said arms and is held in place by abolt 3|. l l

Surrounding the tubular member 25 is a coiled spring 32 one end of whichengages a rnut 433 threaded on the forward end of member 25, the otherend being engaged bya ange 34 extending inwardly from the barrel.

The breech section II is formed, withdownwardly extending spaced-plateportions 35 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the gun stock 36.The breech end of section II is closed by a closure member 31, welded orotherwise secured in place. y Y y Pivoted to member 31 at `38 is a latch`39 to which one end of a link is connected by a pivot 4I. The other endof link 40 is pivoted at 42 to a trigger 43 which is pivoted at 44between plates 435. Anywsuitable means such as spring 45` coiled aroundpivots 38 .and 4Iv and having its free upper end engaging member 31is-provided to normally maintain latch 39 in the posi,- tion shown inFigs. 6 and 1.

A cooking lever 46 is pivoted between plates 3,5, and is formed with ahandle portion 4 8` and a hooked forward portion 49 adapted, when handle48 is swung downwardly, to engage plate 29 as indicated in Fig. 6 anddraw the latter, and the parts attached thereto, rearwardly until thebottom edge of the plate is engaged and held by latch 39 as shown inFig. 1.

As will be apparent, when plate 29 is in engagement with latch 39 spring32 is held under compression (Fig. 1) and plunger head 20 is positionedat the rear end of air compression cylindex' I1, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 2. With the parts positioned as shown in Figs. 1

and 5, a shot may be positioned in front of air tube 23, as shown indotted lines at 50 in Fig. 5, through a loading tube 4| and opening 52formed in the barrel. Loading tube 4l may be held in place by the screwI8 which secures the air compression cylinder I'l in place. Release oflatch 39 by actuation of trigger 43 causes spring 32 to draw the plungerforwardly in cylinder Il forcing the air under compression throughopenings 24 .and tube 23 against the shot 50 projecting the latterthrough and from the shooting tube I4.

The gun may be provided with the usual front and rear sights 53 and 54respectively.

By my arrangement I am able to use a substantially longer spring thanhas heretofore been possible and without increasing the overall lengthof the barrel. By increasing the length of the spring a more powerfuland smoother action of the air compression plunger may be obtainedwith aresulting greater range and accuracy. The relatively long space affordedat the forward end of the barrel permits the degree of compressionimposed on the spring to be decreasedy preventing fatigue of the spring,and promotinglonger life as well as smoother action.

What I claim is:

1. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder secured withinthe barrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube within thebarrel, the forward end of said tube being fixed to the forward end ofthe barrel, said tube extending from the forward end of the barrel tothe air compression cylinder and opening thereto, a plunger reciprocablymounted within the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding theshooting tube between the forward end of the barrel and the compressioncylinder, means movable longitudinally of the fixed shooting tube andengaging the forward end of the spring, said means having portionsextending rearwardly of the compression cylinder, means connecting saidportions to the breech end of said plunger, means to retract the plungeragainst the action of said spring, a latch -releasably holding saidplunger in retracted position, and trigger means for releasing saidlatch. l

2. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder secured withinthe barrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube within thebarrel, the forward end of said tube being fixed to the forward end ofthe barrel, said tube eX- tending from the forward end of the barrel tothe air compression cylinder and opening thereto, a plunger reciprocablymounted within the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding theshooting tube between the forward end of the barrel and the compressioncylinder, actuating means positioned between the spring and shootingtube and abutting the forward end of the spring, said means extendingrearwardly of the compression cylinder, means connecting said actuatingmeans to the breech end of said plunger and two spaced arms extendingrearwardly from the tubular portion along opposite sides of the aircompression cylinder, a spring surrounding the tubular portion of theactuating member, a

rearwardly of the compression cylinder, means to collar carried by theforward end of said tubular portion and abutting the forward end of thespring, a fixed abutment member engaging the rear end of the spring,means connecting said arms to the plunger rearwardly of the breech endof the air compression cylinder, means to retract the plunger tocompress said spring between said collar and abutment, a latchreleasably holding said plunger in retracted position, and trigger meansfor releasing said latch.

4. In an air gun, a barrel, an air compression cylinder fixed within thebarrel adjacent the breech end thereof, a shooting tube having itsforward end supported by the forward end of the barrel and its rear endsupported by the head of the air compression cylinder, a plungerreciprocably mounted in the compression cylinder, an actuating memberincluding a tubular portion slidably mounted on the shooting tube, andtwo spaced arms extending rearwardly from the tubular portion alongopposite sides of the air compression cylinder, a spring surrounding thetubular portion of the actuating member, a collar carried by the forwardend of said tubular portion and engaging the forward end of the spring,a fixed abutment member engaging the rear end of the spring, meansconnecting said arms to the plunger rearwardly of the breech end of theair compression cylinder, a plate member bridging the space between theends of said arms, means movable to engage said plate to draw theactuating member and plunger rearwardly against the action of saidspring, a latch engaging the plate member, when the actuating memberreaches a predetermined point in its rearward movement, to releasablyhold the actuating member vand plunger in retracted position, and

a trigger means for releasing said latch.

ARTHUR F. LOVERING.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Quackenbush A Mar. 6,1877 Number

